22 Nov 19: The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be trialing a new method of procurement over the next year, encouraging suppliers to respond to an expression of interest to help develop requests for services before they go to the market. The new process was announced Thursday at the Big Meet, the fourth annual DFAT aid supplier event, in Canberra. The event is a forum for DFAT to collaborate, engage, and network with current and future suppliers to the aid program, with the aim of finding the best solutions to support its work in lower-income countries.